tle way from the end. He gave it to Mildred to untie and open; which
she did with some trouble, wishing the evening was not so dark.

It was a tinder-box.

"There now!" said Oliver, "we shall soon know what we are about. Do you
know where the tree was cut down, the other day?"

"Close by? Yes."

"Well; bring a lapful of chips,--quick; and then any dry sticks you can
find. We can get on twice as fast with a light; and then they will see
from the house how we manage."

In a few minutes, there was a fire blazing near the tree. The rope must
have come straight over from the house, without dipping once into the
water; for not only were the flint and steel safe, but the tinder
within, and the cloth that the box was done up in, were quite dry.

"Roger is a clever fellow,--that is certain," said Oliver. "Now for
fastening the rope. Do you take care that the fire keeps up. Don't
spare for chips. Keep a good fire till I have done."

Oliver gave all his strength to pulling the rope tight, and winding it
round the trunk of the beech, just above a large knob in the stem. It
seemed to him that the rope stretched pretty evenly, as far as he could
see,--not slanting either up or down; so that the sill of the upper
window must be about upon a level with the great knob in the
beech-trunk. Oliver tied knot upon knot, till no more rope was left to
knot. It still hung too slack, if it was meant for a bridge. He did
not think he could ever cross the water on a rope that would keep him
dangling at every move: but he had pulled it tight with all his force,
and he could do no more. When he had tied the last knot, he and Mildred
stood in front of the fire, and raised one more great shout, waving
their arms--sure now of being seen as well as heard.

"Look! Look!" cried Oliver, "it is moving;--the rope is not so slack!
They are tightening it. How much tighter it is than I could pull it!
That must be Ailwin's strong arm,--together with Roger's."

"But still I never can creep across that way," declared Mildred. "I
wish you would not try. Oliver. Do stay with me!"

"I will not leave you, dear: but we do not know what they mean us to do
yet. There! Now the rope is shaking! We shall see something. Do you
see anything coming? Don't look at the flashing water. Fix your eye on
the rope, with the light upon it. What do you see?"

"I see something like a basket,--like one of our clothes' baskets,--
coming along the line